"With a really, really big bomb."
She let out a low whistle, impressed, before lowering the Crucifix again. "Damn. It's just a shame it needs a blood tax. Seriously, what kind of Memory does that? I can't imagine how Adam could bear to use it."
"He usually couldn't," Sasrir said. "Apart from killing Lord Monsters to acquire the Lord Shards, he avoided it. And every time he did use it, he collapsed from blood loss afterward. Honestly, I'd say you're the abnormal one for being able to wield it for so long."
"Hey, hey," Effie said, mock-offended, pointing the Crucifix at him. "Watch your tongue, or I'll zap you."
She lowered it again with a grin. "Still, the whole 'can't be used alongside other Memories' drawback is a serious pain. I'm not great with spellcasting or fancy stuff, so it really messes with my rhythm."
"I handle the front line. Kai handles ranged support from the back. You provide support from the middle," Sasrir said, reciting the formation once more. "We can swap possession of the Crucifix if needed."
"I know, I know," Effie waved him off. "I'm just making conversation."
She glanced back over her shoulder at Kai. "Hey, Nightingale. You okay back there?"
Kai adjusted his grip on the bow and smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yeah, Effie. I'm fine. Just a bit fatigued from the journey, that's all."
"Ah," she nodded knowingly. "That phase where the wanderlust dies down, but you're still not satisfied. Don't worry. You'll become a master at exploring Dead Zones soon enough."
Kai chuckled softly, then hesitated before speaking again. "Effie… I must say, your responses are always so… distinctive. How do you stay so upbeat all the time, if you don't mind me asking?"
Effie slowed her steps just a little, glancing ahead before answering.
"Well," she said lightly, "it's simple, really. I already died once."
Kai blinked.
She laughed at his expression. "Not like that. I mean, I already lost everything that really mattered. When you hit rock bottom and survive it, most other things just don't feel as scary anymore."
She shrugged, planting her spear over her shoulder. "Besides, my life in the Waking World wasn't great either. I don't want to weigh you down with the details, but for me, getting infected with the Spell was the greatest thing to ever happen. If it wasn't for that, then...well, I prefer not to think about it."
Sasrir said nothing, but his shadow stretched a little longer across the ground as they continued forward, toward the horizon—and toward whatever awaited them when they finally returned.
They covered a few more kilometers before the sun dipped too low in the sky to keep the Dark Sea at bay. As the last light faded, the all-consuming ocean surged upward from wherever it hid during the day, spreading across the land like a living shroud. Having climbed to higher ground in advance, the trio watched from relative safety as the dark waters reclaimed the world below.
The surface of the Dark Sea was eerily flat, broken only by the occasional violent splash as something enormous moved beneath it. From time to time, a titanic silhouette cut through the waves—sometimes chasing smaller creatures, sometimes fleeing from something even larger. It was a mad ecosystem of predation and terror, and humanity, if it could even be called a part of it, sat firmly at the bottom.
Effie tore into her rations with gusto, devouring quadruple portions without a hint of shame. Kai and Sasrir ate more slowly, with a degree of restraint that made her look almost feral by comparison. When Effie finally finished, she snapped a small piece of bone and used it as a makeshift toothpick, scraping between her teeth with evident satisfaction while her two companions watched with a mixture of fascination and mild horror.
"Does your Aspect enhance your digestive tract too," Sasrir asked suddenly, "or do you excrete like a bear?"
Effie froze mid-motion. Kai inhaled sharply and immediately choked on his water, coughing it out over the edge of the fire pit. Effie leaned over and gave him a few solid pats on the back, waiting until his coughing fit subsided before answering.
"It drastically increases everything about my body," she said matter-of-factly, "except my brain. Well, it boosts the reflex and coordination parts, but my general IQ hasn't really gone up, as far as I can tell. So yeah, my gut can handle the appetite."
Talking about her Flaw seemed to spark an idea. Effie leaned forward, her expression turning conspiratorial. "Hey, Sassy, listen to this. We know my Flaw. We know Kai's Flaw. But we don't know yours. Don't you think it's about time you told us?"
She grinned wider. "I mean, we just spent over a month crawling through hell on a fetch quest for your boyfriend. The least you owe us is a little honesty, right?"
Sasrir regarded her calmly. "You have a strange understanding of friendship."
"What?" Effie shot back. "You're saying we aren't friends? Wow. Talk about ungrateful. Kai, listen to this guy."
Kai laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "You were… kind of blunt, Effie. Sasrir doesn't have to share his Flaw if he doesn't want to."
"Hmmm." Effie paused, her face scrunching up in exaggerated contemplation. Then her eyes lit up. She slammed a fist into her palm. "I've got it!"
She leaned toward Sasrir, practically vibrating with excitement. "I'll guess your Flaw, and you just tell me if I'm right. How about it?"
Kai fully expected Sasrir to ignore her.
Instead, after a brief pause, Sasrir nodded. "Alright. Give it your best shot."
Effie's grin widened, sharp and predatory, as the Dark Sea churned silently below them.
Effie leaned back on her hands, eyes roaming over Sasrir in an exaggerated, appraising way. She hummed to herself, dragging the sound out as though tasting possibilities.
"Alright," she said at last. "Shadowy powers. Creepy darkness. You barely talk, you barely react, and half the time I forget you're even there until something dies."
She pointed at him. "So here's my guess."
She raised one finger. "Option one: physical restraint. You can't stay in the light for too long without it hurting you. Sunlight drains you, weakens your Aspect, or maybe straight-up cooks you from the inside. That's why you're always lurking in shadows like they owe you money."
A second finger went up. "Option two: personal curse. Your shadows don't just hide you—they isolate you. People forget you faster, overlook you, or stop thinking about you the moment you're out of sight. That's why you're so aloof. What's the point of getting close if everyone's mind keeps slipping off you?"
She paused, glancing at Kai. "Creepy, right?"
Then she raised a third finger, her grin sharpening. "Option three: abstract compulsion. You can't step into the spotlight. Literally or figuratively. You're forced to stay on the sidelines, support from the dark, never take credit, never be seen as the hero—even if you deserve it. Every time you try, something goes wrong."
Effie tilted her head, studying Sasrir's unreadable face. "So. Sunlight hurts you. People forget you. Or fate itself keeps you in the shadows."
She shrugged. "My money's on the last one. It'd explain the broody vibe."
She leaned forward. "Well? Am I warm, or am I completely full of shit?"
"Wrong. Completely," Sasrir said calmly. "Though I am indeed weak to sunlight and purification-type powers. But that's not technically my Flaw, so you don't get any points for that. Now, can you drop the subject?"
Effie turned slowly to stare at Kai, disbelief written all over her face. "You're kidding me."
Kai shook his head apologetically. "He's not lying. That really isn't his Flaw. Sorry, Eff. You missed."
The olive-skinned huntress clicked her tongue and turned away in an exaggerated huff, folding her arms and pouting like a sulking child. For a few seconds, the atmosphere turned strangely comedic—fire crackling, Dark Sea murmuring below, the absurdity of the situation cutting through the tension they had been carrying for weeks.
Sasrir reached toward the fire, preparing to put it out and call the night done.
Then Effie spoke again.
"Hey, Sasrir…"
Her voice was quieter now. The playful bravado and confidence were gone, replaced by something softer, more tentative. She did not turn to face him, but her shoulders had stiffened.
"Are you really not willing to tell us your Flaw?"
Sasrir froze.
Kai, who had already laid down to rest with his bow nearby, lifted his head and looked over. The firelight cast long shadows across Sasrir's face, and for once, those shadows did not seem to belong to him—they seemed to press down on him.
Feeling their gazes, Sasrir slowly withdrew his hand from the fire and exhaled.
"Alright," he said at last. "I'll tell you. But once I do, you'll have to bear the weight of it."
Kai frowned. "What do you mean?"
"My Flaw is the kind that becomes more dangerous the more people know about it," Sasrir replied evenly. "It won't harm you. It might even benefit you. But I will suffer more for it."
Effie spun around immediately. "Hey, hey, wait—then you don't have to tell us! Seriously, forget it."
She took a step closer, waving her hands as if trying to physically push the words back into his mouth. "If it's like that, then drop it. We were joking around."
Sasrir shook his head.
"No," he said gently, meeting her eyes. "Effie, you were right earlier. I wasn't reluctant because I feared getting hurt. I was reluctant because I didn't trust you enough."
Both of them stiffened.